Russia says leader's death won't destabilise Uzbekistan: RIA

Reuters

Reuters

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MOSCOW (Reuters) - The death of Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov will not negatively affect the political and military situation in the country, RIA news agency quoted a senior Russian diplomat as saying on Tuesday.

Karimov, who had ruled Central Asia's most populous nation with an iron hand for 27 years, died of a stroke this month.

Zamir Kabulov, a Russian Foreign Ministry official and presidential envoy on Afghanistan, said extremists are unable to destabilise the situation in Uzbekistan, the news agency reported.

He also said the country's interim leadership, which took charge after Karimov's death, has the situation under control.